Well, sometimes the indoor environment can become frustratingly noisy to concentrate, rest or and fall asleep. If you’re in an office environment, the noise can cause distractions and disturbances that can affect your productivity at work. At home, it can be difficult to rest comfortably after a long day at work. But fortunately, there are a couple of ways you can reduce noise that is coming from either inside or outside.
It could be the irritatingly hooting cars in the busy street or an intimidating copy machine that you can’t get rid of. One of the ways you can reduce such nuisance is by introducing certain indoor plants. But really, how do sound-absorbing indoor plants really work? What are some of the examples and how exactly do they reduce noise? Here are some pointers on sound absorbing plants, their noise reduction benefits and how to use them.
- Benefits of Indoor Plants in General
- How They Reduce Noise
- Examples of Sound Absorbing Indoor Plants
- 1. The Peace Lily
- 2. The Rubber Plant
- 3. The Weeping Fig
- How to Reduce Noise Indoors With Sound Absorbing Plants
- Use large containers
- Use small arrangements rather than one big one
- Focus more and the edges and corners
- You can use them in place of partitions
Benefits of Indoor Plants in General
Basically, indoor plants improve the aesthetics of interior environments. Most of them also possess air-filtering properties, meaning that they improve indoor air quality. They make our indoor atmosphere fresher, healthier, and more pleasant to be in. Scientific research also suggests that certain indoor plants excel at minimizing noise in the interior environment.
How They Reduce Noise
Most of these indoor plants are fleshy and contain broad foliage that tends to absorb sound waves. Indoor plants reduce sound pollution using three main methods. These are:
• Absorption
• Deflection
• Refraction
The fleshy nature of indoor plants allows them to absorb sound and reduce its intensity. Due to the fact that these plants are flexible, they take in the impact of sound waves and vibrate. The sound waves are transformed into other energy forms and deflected (bounced off) to other directions. Plants also excel at refracting sound in a similar manner that carpeting does. This is why there are no echoes in carpeted indoor environments.
Examples of Sound Absorbing Indoor Plants
Provided they’re fleshy, flexible, and perhaps broad-leafed, almost all indoor plants can absorb sound and reduce noise. However, some of the most effective noise-reducing indoor plants include the following:
1. The Peace Lily
This one is a tropical perennial herb whose light green leaves look pointed and glossy. They are wide and veined, allowing them to absorb as much sound waves as possible. They do best when potted in indoor areas without direct sunlight.
2. The Rubber Plant
The rubber plant is scientifically known as ficus elastica, an indoor plant that grows to as much as 50 meters tall. It consists of shiny, wide-spaced leaves that are dark emerald green in color. The rubber plant thrives best in areas with access to bright light but not direct sunlight.
3. The Weeping Fig
This popular indoor is indigenous in the Amazonian rainforest. It consists of large, thick, pointed leaves, and arching branches that effectively reduce sound indoors. It is also effective in filtering indoor air, getting rid of pollutants such as formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene. Unlike the others above, this relatively slow-growing plant does best in shaded areas with direct access to sunlight.
How to Reduce Noise Indoors With Sound Absorbing Plants
It’s more about how you plant and arrange them, as well as how you take care of your indoor plants. Here are some tips you can use to reduce noise with sound absorbing indoor plants.
Use large containers
Growing your indoor plants in larger containers means a greater dressing are as well as more compost. The more the plant foliage, the higher the sound absorbing capability will be.
Use small arrangements rather than one big one
Avoid concentrating your indoor plants in one location by using several arrangements. Instead, position your potted plants strategically around your space to maximize the sound absorption effect.
Focus more and the edges and corners
Also, indoor plants do well in absorbing sound when placed in corners and edges as opposed to a central location. This arrangement allows sound reflected from the walls to hit the foliage directly.
You can use them in place of partitions
More often than not, open-plan offices tend to be overly noisy. Using plant screens in place of partitions in such offices can make the interior more attractive and less noisy.
